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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · branch · saw · board · fall · wave · season · net

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — the season
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. season — in sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — a division
  22. content — the amount
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com